Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Station at St. George's
(S. Giorgio in Velabro, Roma)

Image of St. George from his church in Velabro

The Station is at St. George's in Velabro,
one of the twenty-five parishes of Rome in the fifth century,
where under the high altar is kept the head of this Christian warrior,
a victim of the persecution of Diocletian, and called by the Greeks "the great martyr."

The Liturgy for today inculcates in us the spirit of prayer, which forms part of the Forty Day's penance. It was by prayer that Ezechias obtained a prolongation of life (Lesson from the Prophet Isaiah xxxviii) and the centurion the healing of his servant (Gospel Mt. vii) and it is by prayer that we shall obtain from God the strength to mortify ourselves in order that we may gain the pardon of our sins, andwith it hte healing of our souls and life eternal.